https://www.thecourier.co.uk/category/lifestyle/entertainment/tv-film/paul-whitelaw-reviews/
CALL THE MIDWIFE: Sunday, BBC One
A VICAR’S LIFE: Friday, BBC Two
There
is something quite magical about CALL
THE MIDWIFE. Even after six years of sticking to a proven formula, it never
feels cynical or tired. Why? Because it’s written, produced and performed with
such obvious love and care.
When
it first arrived in 2012 I dismissed it as just another cosy rose-tinted period
drama. How wrong I was. Yes, it tugs at the heartstrings, but that emotion is
earned. It springs from a sincere and intelligent commitment to confronting
grim reality.
Eternally
relevant social issues are sensitively handled by series creator Heidi Thomas
and her writers. Poverty, prejudice, domestic abuse and addiction are grist to
their mill. Whenever sentimentality threatens to overwhelm, a sobering bowl of icy
water is always on hand to dampen the flames. There’s humour too. The tone is
beautifully judged.
The
latest series began in the brutal winter of 1962/1963, with the tireless surrogate
family members of Poplar’s nursing convent huddling for warmth while ominous
reports of power cuts flickered around them.
The
two main storylines dovetailed into a tender circle-of-life meditation on the importance
of love and self-respect.
We
met a lonely pregnant stripper who’d previously endured a backstreet
termination. The midwives felt a breach birth was in order. Typically, it was
shown in as much visceral detail as the timeslot will allow. Her instant bond
with the baby changed her mind about giving it up for adoption. Perhaps they
could rise above their misfortune together.
Meanwhile,
an old German-Jewish man faced up to the fact that his beloved wife was dying
of tuberculosis. They also had to contend with plans to demolish their street
to make way for new flats (which will probably be knocked down 40 years later).
This couple had fled from the Nazis. They’d worked hard to secure a good life
for themselves in Britain. They weren’t going to let urban regeneration and
death trample over their love, pride and dignity.
In
lesser hands such pathos would by horribly overegged, but Thomas, as usual,
yielded genuinely moving results.
There
was also a new addition to the principal cast, a young West Indian nurse. Her inclusion
is typical of Call the Midwife’s
historical accuracy. The understaffed NHS was on its knees until an influx of
nurses arrived from the Commonwealth to support it.
The
convent welcomed her with open arms and a warming nip of brandy, while expressing
concern about the ignorant attitudes of certain members of their parish. Racism
will inevitably rear its ugly head.
This
exemplary series will, I’m sure, handle that issue with all the boldness and
compassion we’ve come to expect.
There
was more ecclesiastical altruism in A
VICAR’S LIFE, a gentle documentary series about Church of England vicars struggling
to remain relevant in our increasingly secular society.
Whether
you’re a believer or not, there’s no doubting the charitable sincerity of the
likes of Father Matthew. A commendably non-judgemental sort, the
cassock-wearing curate came to the aid of a homeless woman living in a tent on
a roundabout.
Her
sad story was an example of how people can easily slip through the cracks.
Father Michael revealed that he’d also been homeless as a younger man. After
being rescued by a benefactor, he vowed to always help the most vulnerable
members of society whenever he could.
Well,
how about that? The kindness of strangers can still prevail in this Godforsaken
world. There may be some hope after all.
